COMPOSITIONS

The year 2023 marks a century since the National Woman’s Party proposed the Equal Rights Amendment to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender. Despite meeting the state ratification requirements, it has not yet been added to the Constitution. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ERA, Chaos Incarné commissioned #YESALLWOMEN. A reference to the 2014 social media campaign of the same name, the piece explores the four waves of feminism in corresponding movements. The first movement recognizes the work of Alice Paul, one of the four ERA authors and a main leader in the campaign for the Nineteenth Amendment. In a ragtime style, the movement dances through the successes and hardships Alice faced with two distinct characters. The second weaves themes of the landmark text The Second Sex (1949) by Simone de Beauvoir. A twist on the traditionally feminine-coded waltz, the movement is assertive and accents irregular beats. The third movement embodies the 1990s feminist punk movement Riot Grrrl utilizing extended techniques and asymmetrical meter. The final movement sings of the inequalities women are still facing today, and musically states the power of solidarity. It revisits themes of the first three movements, acknowledging the accomplishments of women reformers since the first wave of feminism. #YESALLWOMEN is a call to continue fighting for change so gender rights are protected in the Constitution and discrimination on the basis of gender ceases to exist.